by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Sep 25, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Taxpayer-funded resources should not be used to tilt the scales of any election. This isn’t a difficult concept to understand. So, when Arizona State University (ASU) and PBS were exposed for colluding to help Katie Hobbs in the 2022 governor’s race against Kari Lake, we demanded accountability. We called on Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to launch a full investigation. After all, Arizona law is clear that universities must remain impartial and neutral in election-related activities.
In a ridiculous decision, both Mayes and Mitchell refused to take action on our complaint. But this battle is far from over.
The Illegal Use of Public Funds
This all began back in 2022 when Katie Hobbs was ducking just about everyone during her campaign for governor, most especially Kari Lake. It culminated in Hobbs’ refusal to debate Lake on Arizona PBS. From there, the process should’ve been simple. According to long-standing Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission (AZCCEC) rules, Kari Lake should have been provided with airtime, and the AZCCEC planned to do just that. But hours before Lake’s interview was scheduled to take place, the AZCCEC learned that Arizona PBS went behind their back to schedule an exclusive interview with Katie Hobbs—moving them to postpone Lake’s interview.
Then, last month, a series of emails came to light revealing that ASU leaders including President Michael Crow, former Arizona Republic publisher Mi-Ai Parrish, and Arizona PBS leaders allegedly colluded to jettison the debate rules to help Hobbs. This was a blatant and illegal use of taxpayer funds, and that’s why we filed a Hatch Act complaint with Mayes and Mitchell against ASU. But in a shocking and shameful decision, both decided against taking action…
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by Ethan Faverino | Sep 18, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club escalated its call for accountability, urging the County Attorneys of Mohave, Pinal, and Yuma Counties to launch investigations into Arizona State University (ASU) leadership for allegedly manipulating 2022 gubernatorial debate rules to favor Democratic Katie Hobbs over Republican Kari Lake.
The action follows a complaint filed by the Club in August 2025, with the Arizona Attorney General and Maricopa County Attorney, which was dismissed without a thorough review, prompting a broader push for enforcement under state law.
In a sharply worded letter addressed to the Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith, Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller, and Yuma County Attorney Karolyn Kaczorowski, Club President Scot Mussi detailed evidence of ASU’s deviation from established debate protocols, accusing university officials of using public resources to influence the election in violation of A.R.S. § 15-1633.
The statute states: “A person acting on behalf of a university or a person who aids another person acting on behalf of a university shall not spend or use university resources for the purpose of influencing the outcomes of elections or to advocate support for or opposition to pending or proposed legislation.”
This call-to-action stems from a September 2022 debate co-sponsored by ASU, Arizona PBS, and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC).
Under longstanding CCEC regulations (Ariz. Admin. Code § R2-20-107(K)), a candidate declining an invitation to debate their political opponent forfeits airtime, granting the attending opponent a 30-minute solo interview.
When Hobbs announced she would skip the debate, ASU and PBS bypassed set regulations, granting her an exclusive 30-minute interview, a first in years to do so.
Internal communications, obtained and reported by the Arizona Republic, exposed the intent behind the decision. ASU President Michael Crow, Chief of Staff James O’Brien, and ASU Media Enterprise Managing Director Mi-Ai Parrish allegedly prioritized Hobbs’ comfort over neutrality.
Parrish’s emails to O’Brien highlighted concerns that “Katie is getting roasted hard” for dodging the debate and pressed CCEC staff to limit Lake’s discussion of election integrity, arguing that airing “a person with those views was wrong.” CCEC Executive Director Tom Collins confirmed to the Republic that Parrish sought to suppress Lake’s platform.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the names of the County Attorneys. They have now been corrected.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Aug 28, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the U.S. House of Representatives reauthorized the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) through December 31, 2028, and enacted its largest-ever expansion.
This act broadens eligibility to include new populations, such as Northern Arizona counties and additional uranium workers, while continuing support for those affected by the U.S. nuclear weapons program.
The expanded RECA provides a one-time, lump-sum payment of up to $100,000 to qualifying individuals or their survivors, offering critical restitution for those who developed serious illnesses due to radiation exposure.
Representative Eli Crane (AZ-02) announced that the reauthorized act now covers individuals in Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo, Apache, Gila, and Mohave counties in Arizona affected between January 1951 and November 1962, as well as uranium workers employed in covered occupations from January 1, 1942, to December 31, 1990.
The program also extends to onsite participants of nuclear tests and those impacted by the Manhattan Project waste.
RECA provides a non-adversarial alternative to litigation, requiring no proof of causation. Claimants qualify by demonstrating a compensable disease and presence in a designated area or occupation during specified periods.
The program, administered by the Department of Justice, is designed to resolve claims efficiently, using existing records to minimize administrative costs for both claimants and the government.
The four qualifying categories are Downwinders, onsite participants, uranium workers, and Manhattan Project waste victims.
Downwinders are individuals who developed certain cancers after radiation exposure from U.S. nuclear tests between 1944 and 1962.
The program now includes several Arizona counties along with eligible areas in Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, and Nevada.
To qualify, individuals must have lived in one of the areas during a specific time period and have been diagnosed with a compensable disease such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, or certain primary cancers.
On-site participants were individuals present at U.S. atmospheric nuclear tests before January 1, 1963, and later developed a compensable disease.
Uranium workers also receive compensation for individuals employed in uranium mining, milling, core drilling, ore transport, or remediation efforts in mines or mills located in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, or Texas between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1990.
To qualify, uranium workers must have been employed for at least one year during the time period and been diagnosed with a compensable disease such as lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, silicosis, pneumoconiosis, cor pulmonale related to lung fibrosis, or renal cancers.
Lastly, Manhattan Project waste victims get compensation for individuals exposed to Manhattan Project waste in designated areas of Missouri, Tennessee, Alaska, and Kentucky.
To qualify, individuals must have lived, worked, or attended school for at least two years after January 1, 1949, in designated zip codes and have a compensable disease.
The expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act delivers long-overdue justice, honoring those whose lives were forever changed by radiation exposure.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Aug 23, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Eli Crane announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), under President Trump, is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to help businesses, nonprofits, and tribal nations recover from the devastating 2025 wildfires. The loans respond to the Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires, which scorched the Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab Plateau in Northern Arizona.
The federal disaster declaration, issued by the SBA on August 13th, covers the Arizona counties of Coconino, Gila, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai, as well as the tribal nations of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Havasupai Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.
According to a press release from the SBA, “The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for businesses and 3.625% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.”
The administration clarified that the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) is available to eligible businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. However, the administration noted it is “unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.”
The SBA explained that the purpose of the loans is “for working capital needs caused by the disaster, and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.”
As of this report, the Dragon Bravo fire has burned over 145,000 acres and is 62% contained. It has cut a swath of destruction from the north rim of the Grand Canyon northward along both sides of Arizona State Route 67 for about 12 miles and then along the east side of the State Route for nearly another twenty miles, leaving a scar almost 16 miles wide at its widest point.
The White Sage fire has burned nearly 59,000 acres and is 95% contained after spreading in a widening eastward arc from White Sage flat through the Kaibab National Forest toward Coyote Valley.
In July, Governor Katie Hobbs met with Trump administration officials, including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, to coordinate with federal authorities on the Dragon Bravo wildfire, days after Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ09) joined a growing bipartisan coalition of Arizona leaders calling for an investigation into it. The fire claimed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge along with 50-80 other structures in the area in mid-July.
For more information about the SBA EID loans or to apply, please click here, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Jonathan Eberle | Aug 3, 2025 | Economy, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
As Arizona counties finalize their budgets for Fiscal Year 2026, the majority are preparing to raise property taxes, with 11 of the state’s 15 counties proposing increases totaling nearly $54.8 million, according to the Arizona Tax Research Association’s (ATRA) July 2025 newsletter. The moves come amid population growth, infrastructure demands, and rising costs, but they have also triggered requirements under Arizona’s Truth in Taxation (TNT) law aimed at ensuring transparency.
ATRA’s analysis reveals that under state law, primary property taxes — which fund the general operations of county governments — are subject to TNT provisions. These rules require counties to notify taxpayers if their proposed tax levy exceeds the previous year’s amount, excluding new construction. Notifications must be published in newspapers of general circulation, and a public hearing must be held before any vote to approve the increase.
TNT also applies to some countywide special taxing districts, including those for libraries, flood control, and public health. While counties are allowed to raise taxes up to a constitutional limit — 2% above the previous year’s levy, plus new construction — only Apache and Coconino counties currently tax at that maximum level.
According to ATRA, of the counties planning tax hikes, Pima County stands out with the largest proposed increase: $33 million. This includes a nearly 25-cent hike in the primary property tax rate above TNT limits. Pima is also planning to exceed TNT thresholds for both its flood control and library districts.
Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous, is proposing its first primary property tax increase in five years — not by changing the rate, but by holding it steady. Due to growth in the tax base, this would still result in a $12.5 million increase, exclusive of new construction.
In Coconino County, library district taxes are slated to rise 11.5% over TNT, generating approximately $780,000 in additional revenue. The county also plans to levy the maximum amounts for its primary property tax, as well as for its flood control and public health districts. Altogether, Coconino’s tax increase would total around $1.8 million.
Mohave County is eyeing a 7% increase in primary property taxes, which would raise about $3.2 million. Four counties — Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, and Pinal — have opted not to increase property taxes this fiscal year, bucking the statewide trend.
County officials say the proposed increases are necessary to sustain essential public services amid rising costs and growing populations. Still, the hikes are expected to generate scrutiny from taxpayers, especially in counties proposing large percentage increases or exceeding TNT thresholds.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
